The invention relates to a vapor generating and recovery apparatus for vaporizing a liquid and condensing a vapor, and more particularly to an improved apparatus for vaporizing a liquid and condensing a vapor in combination with a heating and cooling system.
Vapor generating and recovery devices for vaporizing and condensing a liquid have many uses such as cleaning, coating or otherwise surface treating objects. For example, in the cleaning of objects such as metallic tools, plastic parts and the like, hot boiling solvents are used to remove undesirable solubles and particulate matter by immersing the soiled objects into the hot or boiling solvent. In bringing the solvent to a boiling temperature, a solvent vapor zone is created above the boiling solvent solution in a chamber of the device containing the solvent in which the objects are immersed. The vaporized solvent is recovered by cooling the vapor to a temperature below the vaporizing temperature of the liquid.
It is known to use a refrigerant system as the means for heating or boiling the liquid and condensing vapor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,798 describes one such refrigerant system which includes a refrigerant condenser disposed within the chamber for heating and boiling the liquid, and a refrigerant evaporating coil disposed within the chamber for condensing the vapor.
In the heating and cooling refrigerant system it sometimes occurs that more energy is available to the system as heat, due to the refrigerant compressor motor input energy and motor inefficiencies and high ambient temperatures than is needed to efficiently vaporize and condense a particular liquid, and this excess heat adversely effects efficient condensation of the liquid in the at least one chamber.